As the West Indies gear up for their first test series in Pakistan in more than 18 years, slow left arm spinner Jomel Warrican shared insight into their preparations and expectations for the upcoming matches, set to begin this Friday.
Reflecting on the team’s readiness, the spinner noted that the preparation has been “very well”, with the squad taking full advantage of a few days of practice and a warm-up game. He emphasised the importance of adapting to the unique conditions in Pakistan, noting that the team had already documented the likely challenges they would face.
“We had a couple of days to practise and play a practice game as well,” the 32-year- old said. “I think the guys and myself took the opportunity to get familiar with the conditions and prepare well for the test series starting on Friday.”
One key observation from the three-day warm-up match was the expectation of spinning conditions throughout the series. “Clearly, there are going to be spinning conditions,” Warrican said. “The outfield is going to be very quick as well. You have got to be tuned in and ready to counteract the spin.”
As one of the three designated spinners in the squad alongside Gudakesh Motie and Kevin Sinclair, the pressure to perform in such conditions is evident. With 54 test wickets under his belt from 17 games at an average of 34.09, the Vincentian is embracing the challenge.
He said “In a position like this, you have got to embrace it and enjoy that challenge to help us defeat Pakistan in the series, or if not, compete or draw the series, whichever outcome happens. Being one of the top three spinners is a case where you have to enjoy the challenge and embrace it and perform to the best of your ability.”
The upcoming series also marks the conclusion of the current World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, which wraps up this month. West Indies are currently bottom of the nine team WTC with 32 points, having failed to win a test series.
Despite that, Warrican highlighted the importance of closing the cycle with a strong finish. “Anyone would like to have a brilliant climax,” he said. “For us, we really need this point to finish very strong. For us as a team, just to finish the series with a win and finish the World Test Championship with a bang.”
When asked about his personal approach to the series, he shared his focus on sticking to the basics, despite the temptation to get carried away with the conditions. “You have got to be disciplined and put the balls in the right areas. Just wait for something to happen sometimes and not get too caught up in being overly aggressive,” he advised. “We as spinners have to be 100 per cent aggressive. Just have a balance and stick to the basics and be very, very disciplined.”
The test series gets underway on January 16 in Multan before the series concludes on January 24 in Multan.
